Dwarven diet
feasting in Orzammar's Royal Palace]] The diet of the dwarven race is unique to all other races in Thedas, owing to the majority of dwarves living their entire lives underground. After the fall of the dwarven empire, many thaigs which were responsible for producing food were lost to the darkspawn. Subsequently, the diet of the dwarves of Orzammar depends on food imports from the surfaceAfter the sharp decline of food imports as a result of the wars on the surface in 9:41 Dragon a famine broke out in Orzammar which led to riots as mentioned by the three dwarven emissaries who gossip on news from Orzammar in the Winter Palace during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. however they are still heavily involved in breeding animals and growing food, or finding it in the Deep Roads and other underground locations around the thaig. Harvested food Dwarves make use of all edible items that can be scavenged, some of which are hazardous due to their proximity to lyrium, and the darkspawn taint which is quite common. * LichenAs implied by Garin.: Can be made into a bread. * Deep mushroomCodex entry: In Praise of the Humble Nug: While it grows in close proximity to the darkspawn taint and lyrium veinsBased on the Deep Mushroom (Origins) description., these mushrooms are considered by dwarves to have a unique flavor and intoxicating scent. * Moss: Used in the production of dubious liquor. * Fungus: Possibly used to brew liquor. Food animals Dwarves both catch and breed animals as food sources. * Nug: A small animal that appears as a cross between a pig and a rabbit. Its flavor has been described as an "unholy union of pork and hare". It is favored as a food source by poor and wealthy alike. It should be boiled before being roasted.Mentioned by Nug Wrangler Boermor. * Bronto: Selectively bred by the Shaperate as beasts of burden and food sources. * Cave beetle: Dwarves are known to roast and eat these beetles in the shell.Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Game Master's Guide, set 2, p. 24 Known dwarven liquor ]] Dwarves have a long-standing love for, and uncanny ability to tolerate, liquor. They both import liquor and produce much on their own. * Dwarven ale: A black liquid with a reputation as being almost undrinkable for anyone not a dwarf. Reputedly made from fungus.Dragon Age: Asunder, pp. 132-133 * Brakien Brew: A beer with a heavy head and a deep, rich taste. * Coconut DraftA drink proposed by a waitress in Tapster's Tavern in A Tale of Orzammar DLC. * Hirol's Lava Burst: A gift for Oghren in ''Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, produced in Kal'Hirol. * Lichen ale: A toxic ale common in Dust Town.Codex entry: The Casteless * MosswineAs mentioned by Rica Brosca in the Dwarf Commoner Origin.: A toxic wine brewed from moss. * Valenta's Red, the "Paragon of Ales"As mentioned by Corra, proprietor of Tapster's Tavern. Surface foods Trade with the surface is essential to the wealth of the city of Orzammar, and food products are a part of that. Indeed, without the lifeline of trade, including food, into the city, survival in Orzammar would be very difficult.Commented upon by the traders at the city gates in Dragon Age: Origins. Surface food products are necessarily in high demand in Orzammar due to the few choices of food produced by the city itself and the exotic novelty of surface foods. Due to their great expense typically only nobles or the very influential are able to purchase these goods.Beraht during the Dwarf Commoner Origin is able to purchase figs from the surface in order to bribe guards in Orzammar. Notable surface delicacies are plum jamMentioned by a noble in the Diamond Quarter in Dragon Age: Origins. and caviar.Athenril mentions that she works with the Carta to steal such foodstuffs from Hightown nobles and smuggle it into Orzammar in Dragon Age II. Surface goods in Orzammar include liquor too, such as honey mead, served in Tapster's Tavern, traded from a surface family who ships it every month. Known cuisine * Old cheese and shredded dried meatAs mentioned by Garin.: Used as a spread. * Nug pancakes: Favored food of children. * Nug-gets: Favored food of children. * Seared nugA favorite dish of King Ansgar Aeducan as noted in Codex entry: In Praise of the Humble Nug.: Seared on a hot metal plate and finished in the oven-and dressed in a cream sauce flavored with deep mushrooms. * Fried mushCodex entry: The Noladar Anthology of Dwarven Poetry Trivia * Varen, a former Legionnaire, discovered the edibility of nug while lost in the Deep Roads. For his discovery, he became a Paragon. * Tapster's Tavern serves 52 types of ale, 17 meads and 12 imported wines, a testament to the dwarves' long-standing love of hard drink. * As noted by Oghren, Orzammar ale tastes like dirt in comparison to Fereldan ale, as dwarves put dirt in it.As mentioned by Ohgren after the coronation in Dragon Age: Origins. * Nug-wranglers catch nugs to sell, and may also practice some form of nug farming to breed the animals. * Dwarves farm mushrooms for food.As mentioned by Varric Tethras in party banter with Anders in Dragon Age II. * Oghren's gift, the Beard Flask from Feastday Gifts and Pranks, is fashioned from a nug stomach to facilitate hands-free drinking. * Alistair and Leliana will comment upon drinking dwarven ale in location-specific dialog in Dragon Age: Origins. Wynne also professes interest in it in party banter with Oghren, and even develops a taste for it by the time period of Dragon Age: Asunder. King Maric Theirin also drinks it in Dragon Age: The Calling, having developed a taste for the brew himself. See also References Category:Dwarven lore